Children with profound sensorineural unilateral hearing loss (UHL) lag behind in spoken language, cognition, spatial hearing, and academic performance compared to normal hearing (NH) children. Until recently children with UHL were not remediated, thereby assuming that the normal ear would provide sufficient sensory cues for speech understanding. However, this is not true. Because of the difference between the two ears they have difficulty localizing sounds and understanding speech in noise. Such auditory deprivation leads to more global changes in neurocognitive function. It is expected that a cochlear implant in the deaf ear will provide the necessary cues for hearing with two ears. The main objective of this research project is to fundamentally investigate language, cognitive, and spatial/binaural hearing longitudinally in children with unilateral deafness who receive a cochlear implant and age-matched peers.
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Spoken language comprehension
Timeframe: Every 6 months between 2nd and 5th birthday
Spoken language production (young children)
Timeframe: Every 6 months between 2nd and 5th birthday
Spoken language production (older children)
Timeframe: Yearly from the age of 5, until study completion (average period: 2 years)
Spatial speech perception in noise
Timeframe: Yearly from the age of 4, until study completion (average period: 3 years)
Sound localization
Timeframe: Yearly from the age of 4, until study completion (average period: 3 years)